Welcome to the Mad Tea Party!

"You come to Wonderland often?"

Thanks for dropping in... may I suggest you sit and rest a bit. Here's an empty toadstool. ::::brushing off seat:::: Please - have a seat! If this is your first time down a bunny hole you may be a tad dizzy for a few minutes. It's to be expected, so don't be alarmed. Can I get you some tea? How many sugar bubblesfor you? While you sip that, I'll tell you what happened this morning.

When I first arrived in my garden I found it unusually quiet. Then I spotted a key on the table under the Cedar tree with a purple ribbon tied around it. I picked it up to ponder where the lock it opens could be, (That's odd, I've never heard the pansies giggle so much, I thought) when suddenly I dropped down a bunny hole. I'm getting used to falling down such holes and have learned to be prepared with a parasol in hand to counter the intended plummet (the queen gets a thrill out of it you know). After making my way through the Rosemary maze (it's harder than you think for someone that falls asleep f

rom the smell of the herb), I finally reached the tea party. So far I've met a the sneaky White Bunny, the Bluebird of Happiness and the Mad Waiter of Bangadish.

Later I'll be visiting my dear friends White Rabbit and Mad Hatter. If you see them, say I said, "HELLO!".

The internet reception fades in and out as much as Cheshire Cat down here, but I'll be adding more pix of the party when I can.

I'm off to visit some old friends and make some new ones :D

I'm back! Okay, so I met some more Wonderlanders. Let's see... the tea gets me a little forgetful... there was a caterpillar, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum... Oh - and Miss Cialito and Miss Holly showed up (remember them from last year?). Don't repeat this, but Miss Holly was obviously wearing Miss Kiki's dress and it was just a tad too small for her.

Oh, and then Miss Cialito and one of the white bunnies were hitting it off splendidly (they both speak fluent Malarkey), until she casually answered the white bunny's question about what exactly it is she does at the track. Well, the poor little bunny nearly hopped out of her chair at the thought of chasing white bunnies for a living.

Cheers,

A Mad Tea Party May Just Hit the Spot

Once in a blue moon you encounter an imaginative/playful soul that, through their actions, gives you permission to be yourself, let loose and play.  I had such an encounter last June, when I attended Vanessa's (A Fanciful Twist) first Mad Tea Party.  It was inspiring to discover other bloggers that enjoyed playing in their imagination as much as I do.  

I hope you'll come out and play with us.  You'll have tons of fun and meet some wonderful people at the same time. Maybe pick up a few friends too :D

Sign-up is going on now at A Fanciful Twist and the party will begin June 27th (it usually takes a couple of days to visit with ALL of the guests).

If you'd like to get a taste of last year's delicious party click here. 

Playfully yours,

Wandering Through Wonderland: Inside Scoop

Today is the big day!  We (Mixed Media Mischief Makers) are having our blog open house today.  So far I've spotted Alice, one of the White Rabbit's relatives, and a couple of the singing flowers  in Bloggerland.  See who you can spot by heading over to the Rabbit Hole.  Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win one of seven prizes.  Here are a couple of them pictured below.  

Good luck!

My challenge piece:

"Dessert-ed Tea Party"

***Make sure you watch the slide show on our blog to see more "Wonderland Challenge" pieces***

Mischieviously yours,

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail: Happy Easter! (Part 1)

The sneaky little fae apparently enjoyed our last visit so much, that they decided to lock the gate to the trail we'd planned to hike this time.  So we had to hike the same one again. Maybe they just wanted to meet my son.

The Trail bunny left a basket for Justin (my son) and a trail of candy-filled eggs scattered along the path.

Continued (see part 2)...

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail: Happy Easter! (Part 2)

...continued from part 1.

After our hike we re-visited Green Spring, so Justin could see it too.  Take a look.  

My son took that photo Hubby wanted (I mentioned it in my last post) of me monkey- footing it across the fallen palm tree. 

Miss Monkeyfeet

Finally, we came across a nut tree with a great BIG nut hanging in it... and as the saying goes, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.  Warning:  If you don't want to spit your drink on your monitor, don't sip it before you view the next slide show.

Hope you enjoyed your Easter Sunday too!

Hippity hoppity,

Adventures in a Land of Wonder: Finding the Fountain of Youth

Window of the Fae

My hubby and I love exploring our area on the weekends.  

This past weekend I told hubby I was in the mood for an adventure, so without a word he jumped on the web to find a place we hadn't been before.  All he said was wear shorts and comfortable shoes.  I grabbed my camera and off we went.   

Apparently the sneaky little fae of Sanford had other plans for us, because we ended up stumbling upon Lake Monroe Conservation Area instead of our intended destination.  It was great!  We saw holes to who knows where, creeks, fairy braided tree roots, winged critters, wicked tree creatures - I even got to see where the faery council hold their meetings every new moon (see if you can spot it in the slide show below).

  

Later that day we visited Green Spring.  If you follow the link, you'll see why they named it so.  I ran out of room on my memory card, so I couldn't take anymore pix, but I will next time we go.  We have to go back... Hubby wants to get a picture of me "monkey footing" it, as he calls it, across this fallen palm tree resting over a creek.  It was just begging to be walked across, so naturally I obliged.  

I was thinking about our adventure and how we were like kids exploring the wilderness.  I realized we had in fact found the Fountain of Youth that Ponce De Leon had been searching for when he discovered our state. It's not in a spring per se.  It's in a flower, a bug, a tree, a cloud - it's in your soul!

Youthfully yours,

Wandering Through Wonderland: For the Adventurous at Heart!

We're having an open house blog party for one of the online groups I co-own.  

If you'd like to find out more about our group, meet our members, view their artwork, browse their shops or join our group, please join us for this event (see details below).  

You could win a prize! :D  Our very own Dormouse will be giving out dor prizes.  

Just drop by our blog on May 5th, 2009 (Tuesday) to leave a comment for a chance to win.

All winners will be announced on May 7th, 2009 (Thursday), so don't forget to check back to see if you've won and claim your prize.  (You'll need to provide us with your mailing address via email to claim your prize)

Bring a friend, some tea, a tarty tart and your curiosity.

"The cure for boredom is curiosity.  There is no cure for curiosity." ~Ellen Parr

Don't be late! ;D

http://mixedmediamischiefmakers.blogspot.com/

Mischievously yours,

Foolishness

glitter-graphics.com

Sorry, no prank for you today, but I'll leave you with a couple of quotes to tickle your funny bone.

"The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected."  ~Will Rogers

"Every fool finds a greater one to admire them." ~Bioleau

"It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor."  ~Max Eastman

 "Only a fool knows everything.  A wise man knows how little he knows." ~Anonymous 

Just remember she who laughs, lasts :)

Foolishly yours,

Happy St. Pat's Day!

glitter-graphics.com

Happy Birthday, Justin!

Happy 20th birthday, Justin! :D

I LOVE YOU!!! :D

BIG hug,

Mom :)

Overflowing: Life is Good!

I really hate jumbled posts, but I have so much I've been intending to share; just accumulating in a massive heap in my mind and I'm afraid of what will happen if I don't release it soon.  This is just SOME of it! :O

Justin                                                                                           

First off, my son is moving out west.  I've been helping him with moving preparations.  I'm so excited for him! It's so nice to see him filled with so much enthusiasm.  He's looking forward to the journey just as much as the destination.  I remember that adventurous feeling from when I was younger, but obligations make it less possible to act upon as we grow older.  I love the area he's chosen (lived there as a child), so I'm excited about visiting him once he's had a chance to settle in. He celebrates his 20th birthday March 16th :D.  Still trying to figure out what to get him; besides a map - LOL.  He's getting his cast off the 20th and hopefully it stays off this time, since he's on his 3rd one now.  I took pix of all of them, but the camouflage one didn't show up - just kidding - LOL.

Enchanting Sun Catcher

Secondly, I'd like to introduce you to a beautiful line of handmade sun catchers that are crafted by an online friend of mine, Heather Robertson (we happen to share the same first and last names), and her mom.  Their Etsy shop is called HB Seagems and they carry the most enchanting little sun catchers that are made using found sea glass from the beaches of Cape Cod.  Aren't they absolutely gorgeous?!  I had a tough time deciding, but I finally chose the one pictured above.

Mosquito Lagoon

Next in the heap... my hubby and I were going to spend some time with my in-laws this past weekend.  They go back home the 1st of April, so we're trying to spend as much time with them as possible.  My mother-in-law wasn't feeling well, so we decided to let her rest, while we did something in the area.  

Beach Glass

We ended up going to a beach we don't normally visit.  It's in a nature preserve; and we got to hike the boardwalk up to the top of Turtle Mound. We walked the beach and to my surprise, we found some beach glass.  I think I'll send it to the other Heather to use in a special edition Cape Canaveral sun catcher :D.

The Respected Flame

Kiln Full of Barb's and My Handiwork

My Beads

My Pendants

When my niece, Barb asked me if I wanted to join her for a bead class at Galleria di Vetro, while she was vacationing here in Florida (she and her hubby come every year to visit my in-laws), I had no idea what was in store for me.  Turned out to be a flameworking class. Yes, someone was crazy enough to grant permission for me to work by an open flame!!! :O  We spent four hours learning how to use the tools of the trade and make beads and pendants.  There's so much more left to learn, but I can't express how much fun it was to be completely out of my element and trying something new for a change.  I have always stood in fascination as the flameworkers created artwork behind those glass walls, but never dreamt of trying it myself. 

Holly Wearing Gift from Barb

Barb loves creating jewelry for herself, friends and family and when she got back home from her trip she mailed me a beautiful charm to hang from my rearview mirror.  Holly (my pooch) insisted on modeling it for us.  Thanks Barb! :D  

Watercolor Artist at "Flagler Avenue Art Walk"

There happened to be an art show down Flagler Avenue, "Flagler Ave. Art Walk", the day after our class, so we got to stroll through the artist's tents in addition to picking up our beads and pendants.  I've been to 3 art shows in the past month.  My timing is usually off and I end up missing most of them, but not this year.

"Legendary Silver Kings"

We picked up this fantastic piece from Florida artist,  Mike Williams at one of those art shows.  He has an amazing ability to capture the Florida lifestyle with his ink and pastel work.  To see the full picture and more of his work visit his site.

Loving life,

Birds of a Feather Blog Party! :D

Happy Valentine's day everyone!  Welcome to my blog (daydream).  Today I'm going to introduce you to a dear friend of mine.  She doesn't have feathers, but she wears them occasionally.  Say hello to the delightful darling, Petals.  She's one of the critters I created for my traveling circus.  I hope you'll be kind and wish her a happy Valentine's.

    

Thanks for visiting.

XOXOXOX,

Birds of a Feather

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. ~Henry Van Dyke

Guess what?!  A little birdie told me that someone's throwing a blog party on Valentine's day :D  YIPEEE! Click here for all the chirpy details.  I'll see you there. Now if you'll pardon me, I've gotta fly -  the nest is in serious need of tidying, as are my feathers in need of preening. 

Peeps & cheeps,

The Genie's Out of the Bottle

It's true - the genie is out - and there's nothing anyone can do about it. The talented and mischievous mixed media artist Carrie Hill of Possum Alley Purdees has been uncorked and will be offering her first ever online class, "Bottle Spirits".   It starts February 3rd at Class Heaven.  It's sure to be a fun class.  Carrie has a wonderful sense of humor and is a very helpful instructor.  She also has plans for advanced "Bottle Spirit" classes, as well as other mixed media classes in the near future, so watch out. 

Mixing it up,